After finishing the last of my Kindle cache I thought I would buy Skagboys (prequel to Trainspotting), I had it in hard copy but cant find it now so .....

I cant remember what the next recommendation was but I bought it, because of that it recommended 'My life as a Chelsea Headhunter' by Jason Marriner (who I used to know). Its not a book for the intelligent man (hence I'm reading it) but I cant put it down.Its probably because I can hear every written word in his voice and can picture his mannerisms.I always felt sorry for him, getting stitched up as he did, but I gather he is doing quite well now as an after dinner speaker, movie star, etc.

DI Burnside wrote:I don't want to read them on my phone \ iPad, just when I want to buy one I don't want to have to turn a pc on and use a browser. Will the kindle app let me do that without downloading books to my ithings ?

What's stopping you using the browser on your phone? It's how I do it.

That sounds easier then. I do read on my phone at times so the Kindle app made sense to me.

On holiday I read the spy who came in from the cold, which was great as everyone probably already knows. "The secret footballer" which was rubbish and the Tyler Hamilton book about the drug taking on the tour which was great, I need to read david millars book next.

Clown Ice Skater #4 wrote:The Amazon app is a pile of poo. It allows you to browse but not buy Kindle books which seems to render it useless. Just use the browser on your phone to look at Amazon's website.

And when I say "Android app" I mean both the Kindle and Amazon apps - both let you buy Kindle books.

Last edited by CJ+ on Sun Sep 03, 2017 2:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Doctor Congo wrote:Am listening to the audiobook of How Not to be a Boy by Robert Webb, (of Mitchell and Webb fame) which is wonderful. Funny, sad, embarrassing and insightful. It's a memoir of his early years and observation on how men are discouraged to develop emotions or at least struggle to understand them as being a boy growing up suppresses them.

Dr C it's my new credit day with Audible and I'm excitedly waiting for it to land, so I can download this.

I heard an excerpt on Radio 4 a couple of weeks ago and quite liked it, and your review convinced me.

I've just finished The Miniaturist, the 2014 debut novel of Jessie Burton. It's a bestseller and was quite a sensation when it was published.

I didn't think it lived up to the hype. There was a good idea there but she didn't make the best of it and I found that characters sort of appeared and disappeared without warning and their motives were never properly explained. Rather a disappointing read overall.

I buy music via the app but when you download it, you can't say to put in my music folder. It also gives the downloaded file a weird unrecognisable name and my other music player can't detect the file even when it's manually copied into my music folder.

So I have to download the music file on my PC and then copy it to my phone after buying from the app.

Just finished Bruce Dickinson's latest autobiography "What Does This Button Do ?"

It's all about him, his career in music, flying, fencing and his battle with cancer; nothing about his wife and kids which he states is deliberate. I was a huge Iron Maiden fan in my early years, and even now I'll often put some of their older stuff on in the car. It was a little bit disjointed in places and the pace varies quite a lot, but it was an enjoyable read. He's an interesting character, certainly on my celebrity dinner party list.

However, it was spoiled hugely at the end. There are a series of pictures at the end of the book, one of which was taken when he went to Sarajevo during the war over there. I'm not going to put it on here as it is an extremely upsetting image as it shows a child who has clearly died quite violently. Why it is included in the book I don't know, if he's trying to make some sort of point then perhaps a few words might have helped. I know these things happen and shouldn't be ignored, but to include it in this way upset and annoyed me a bit.

Doctor Congo wrote:Am listening to the audiobook of How Not to be a Boy by Robert Webb, (of Mitchell and Webb fame) which is wonderful. Funny, sad, embarrassing and insightful. It's a memoir of his early years and observation on how men are discouraged to develop emotions or at least struggle to understand them as being a boy growing up suppresses them.

Dr C it's my new credit day with Audible and I'm excitedly waiting for it to land, so I can download this.

I heard an excerpt on Radio 4 a couple of weeks ago and quite liked it, and your review convinced me.

Doctor Congo wrote:Am listening to the audiobook of How Not to be a Boy by Robert Webb, (of Mitchell and Webb fame) which is wonderful. Funny, sad, embarrassing and insightful. It's a memoir of his early years and observation on how men are discouraged to develop emotions or at least struggle to understand them as being a boy growing up suppresses them.

Dr C it's my new credit day with Audible and I'm excitedly waiting for it to land, so I can download this.

I heard an excerpt on Radio 4 a couple of weeks ago and quite liked it, and your review convinced me.

Did you read/listen to this Span?

Not Span, obv, as she is so luvverly,but listed to five 15 minute slots on R4. Excellent.

Doctor Congo wrote:Am listening to the audiobook of How Not to be a Boy by Robert Webb, (of Mitchell and Webb fame) which is wonderful. Funny, sad, embarrassing and insightful. It's a memoir of his early years and observation on how men are discouraged to develop emotions or at least struggle to understand them as being a boy growing up suppresses them.

Dr C it's my new credit day with Audible and I'm excitedly waiting for it to land, so I can download this.

I heard an excerpt on Radio 4 a couple of weeks ago and quite liked it, and your review convinced me.

Did you read/listen to this Span?

Not Span, obv, as she is so luvverly,but listed to five 15 minute slots on R4. Excellent.

It’s really really good. As engaging and funny as you think he will be but also tragic and touching

Doctor Congo wrote:Am listening to the audiobook of How Not to be a Boy by Robert Webb, (of Mitchell and Webb fame) which is wonderful. Funny, sad, embarrassing and insightful. It's a memoir of his early years and observation on how men are discouraged to develop emotions or at least struggle to understand them as being a boy growing up suppresses them.

Dr C it's my new credit day with Audible and I'm excitedly waiting for it to land, so I can download this.

I heard an excerpt on Radio 4 a couple of weeks ago and quite liked it, and your review convinced me.

Did you read/listen to this Span?

I did! And I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thoughtful and honest, and he went even higher in my estimation when he was quite high already. Thanks for the recommendation.

My current Audible listen is Danny Baker's second one of his memoirs series. I absolutely loved his first and am really enjoying this one.

It was recommended by a friend, who when I started reading I texted. THe reply, "Good Luck, I couldn't finish it!"....

Not a great sign, considering they recommended the damn book!

Anyway, I was up till about 5:30 am this morning reading it. I love the writing style.

Here's an excerpt:

For you. You’ll soon. You’ll give her name. In the stitches of her skin she’ll wear your say. Mammy me? Yes you. Bounce the bed, I’d say. I’d say that’s what you did. Then lay you down. They cut you round. Wait and hour and day.

Walking up corridors up the stairs. Are you alright? Will you sit, he says. No. I want she says. I want to see my son. Smell from dettol through her skin. Mops diamond floor tiles all as strong. All the burn your eyes out if you had some. Her heart going pat. Going dum dum dum. Don’t mind me she’s going to your room. See the. Jesus. What have they done? Jesus. Bile for. Tidals burn. Ssssh. All over. Mother. She cries. Oh no. Oh no no no.

I know. The thing wrong. It’s a. It is called. Nosebleeds, head aches. Where you can’t hold. Fall mugs and dinner plates she says clear up. Ah young he says give the child a break. Fall off swings. Can’t or. Grip well. Slipping in the muck. Bang your. Poor head wrapped up white and the blood come through. She feel the sick of that. Little boy head. Shush.

She saw it first when you couldn’t open your eye. Don’t wink so long wind’ll change and you’ll stay that way. I’m not Mammy. It’s got stuck. She pull it open. Hold it up. I can’t it’s all fall down.

And now Holy Family on a Saturday night. He is leaning you are sleeping she the chair me whirlabout. Listen in to doctor chat. We done the best we could. There really wasn’t much. It’s all through his brain like the roots of trees. Sorry. Don’t say. That. He’s running out I’m afraid. I’m afraid he’s running down. You should take him home, enjoy him while you can. He’s not. He is. Can’t you operate again? We can’t. Shush. Something? Chemo then. We’ll have a go at that.

Weeks for you. Weeks it. Scared and bald and wet the bed. Dark trees outside for me when it weather rains. She praying in a coat until I am froze. Hard chapel kneelers bare-kneed real repents. She does. And our father was. Where? Somewhere there. I think.

So like it lump it a short breath’s what you’ve got. Jesus in her blood that minute. Rejoice sacred heart of Christ. But we’ll never be rid do you understand? he says. Shush now she says shush.

Your pink face make that sitting up the best thing she’s ever done. Watching you going growing hair. Scabby over slices where scalpels were. Don’t look. Telling what’s the time and where you are. Makes her happy. Makes our father. Walk down corridors alone.

He says I can’t be waiting for it all the time. I’d give my eyes to fix him but. The heart cannot be wrung and wrung. And she like calmest Virgin Mary sitting on the bed. Hands warming up her sides for. What’re you saying? Breath. Going? Leaving? But he’s just stopped dying. This one’s to come. Please don’t no I won’t stop you. Could never make you do a thing. You’ll support us. Aren’t you great? Oh the house is mine. It’s for the best. For who you me? Board my body up. I’m not for loving. Anymore. I’ll live for housework. Dressing kids. And you for mortgage new shoes spuds. Can’t live short hope but gas bills long and paid on time too. Oh so kind. Aren’t you the fine shape of a man.

He left her with a fifty pound note. Take care! Stroke combing full untidied hair.

Thinking I think of you and me. Our empty spaces where fathers should be. Whenabouts we might find them and what we’d do to fill them up.

But didn’t time continue still. Where’s Daddy? Gone. Why’s that? Just is. And yelp she at the strength growing to your tips. Poke belly of baby that’s kicking is me. Full in myself. Bustling hatchery. And I loved swimming to your touch. Lay on the lining for your strokes for you secret pressed hello’s. Show my red foot. Look. Look there. Baby when you’re born I pick your name. See you and me were busy with each other long before I came.

She was careful of you. Saying let’s take it slow. Mind your head dear heart. And her guts said Thank God. For her gasp of air. For this grant of Nurse I will. Learning you Our Fathers art. And when you slept I lulled in joyful mysteries glorious until I kingdom come. Mucus stogging up my nose. Scream to rupture day. Fatty snorting like a creature. A vinegar world I smelled. There now a girleen isn’t she great. Bawling. Oh Ho. Now you’re safe. But I saw less with these flesh eyes. Outside almost without sight. She, asking after and I’m all fine. Hand on my head. Her hand on my back. Dividing from the sweet of mother flesh that could not take me in again. I curled there learning limb from limb. Curdled under hot lamps. Sorrow lapped. I’m so glad your brother’s lived. That he’ll see you. It’ll all be. But. Something’s coming. Wiping off my be- gans. Wiping all my every time. I struggle up to. I struggle from. The smell of milk now. Going dim. Going blank. Going white.

I donm't know if the whole book is in this style, but I think it's great.